7.20 Chic Scott

EPISODE 7.20

Chic Scott is a renowned mountain adventurer, guide, and author who has been exploring high places for over 50 years. Born in Calgary in 1945, Chic is a fourth-generation Albertan and a third-generation Calgarian with a family history of organizing amateur sports. He represented Alberta at the Canadian Junior Golf Championship in 1961 but took up mountain climbing and skiing the following year and has been passionate about these pursuits ever since.

Chic has climbed and skied in many locations around the world, including the Canadian Rockies, the European Alps, and the Himalayas. He has organized clubs and foundations, written books, and worked as a mountain guide. Some of his notable achievements include the first winter ascent of Mount Assiniboine in 1967, the first successful completion of the Jasper to Lake Louise High-Level Ski Traverse, and the first Himalayan summit reached by a Canadian, Myagdi Matha, in 1973.

Chic Scott is an epic writer with over 150 articles or journal contributions and 17 books as writer or co-writer, including "Summits and Icefields: Alpine Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies", "Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering", "Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies", "Powder Pioneers: Ski Stories from the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains", and "Deep Powder and Steep Rock: The Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser".

Chic's guidebook, "Summits and Icefields," is considered a classic of the genre, while "Pushing the Limits, the Story of Canadian Mountaineering," is considered the authority on the subject. He has received honorary memberships in the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, the Calgary Mountain Club, The Alpine Club of Canada, and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. In 2000, Chic received the Bill March Summit of Excellence Award at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and in 2018, he received the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Chic currently resides in Banff, Alberta, where he writes books and magazine articles, gives presentations on mountain topics, and enjoys hiking, skiing, and climbing in the nearby Rocky Mountains.

Dom: Intro

Chic: From golf to skiing and mountaineering 4:35

Dom: Talks about the changes and prep 7:35

Chic: Illustrates the mountains melting 11:40

Chic: Weather and going into the unknown 15:59

Dom: Ques up the Banff film festival origins 25:05

Chic: Age is a number 31:12

Chic: Explains his love for literature 35:00

Chic: You thought your move was bad 40:00

Chic: Rappelling lesson learned 56:55

Dom: Outro

Socials:

The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/

Guest - https://www.instagram.com/

Links:

Chic Scott’s Website - https://chicscott.com/index.htm

Whyte Museum Fireside chats - https://www.whyte.org/digitalvault/categories/fireside-chats

Whyte Museum Pushing the Limits Legacy interview series https://www.whyte.org/pushing-limits-legacy

Sponsors for this episode:

Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Crew:

Host - Dom Baker - https://instagram.com/dom_baken/

Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:

The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate

The American Avalanche Association - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate

Music:

Gravy - https://soundcloud.com/gravy

Devil’s Punchbowl - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0I2zpUuy1U